The present invention relates to a vehicular anti-skid brake device which can be actuated so as to suppress generation of braking oil pressure by means of a braking oil pressure generating device when the braking force to the wheels is excessive.
Conventional anti-skid brake devices typically comprise a braking oil pressure generating device, for example, such as a master cylinder for generating braking oil pressure in accordance with a braking operating input, a braking force applying device, for example, such as a brake actuated by means of a wheel cylinder for applying the braking force to the wheels in response to braking oil pressure generated by said braking oil pressure generating device, and an anti-skid control device for controlling the magnitude of the braking force to the wheels. Such anti-skid brake devices have been usually designed so as to suppress the braking operation of the braking force applying device to the wheels against the braking oil pressure generated by the braking oil pressure generating device when the braking force to the wheels is excessive, that is, when the possibility or danger of locking the wheels occurs.
However, in such conventional anti-skid brake devices as described above, the anti-skid control device is provided to directly control the operation of the braking force applying device but not to directly control the braking oil pressure generating device, and thus, even if the anti-skid control device is actuated as a result of the excessive braking operating input, a vehicle operator merely can sense that the anti-skid control device has been actuated through an oil passage to provide communication between the braking oil pressure generating device and the braking force applying device. Generally speaking, it is not easy to sense immediately that the anti-skid control device has been actuated and it tends to involve a time delay from the actuation of the anti-skid control device to sensing thereof, so that it is difficult to fully expect the responsiveness of the operator to the actuation of the anti-skid control device as a result of the excessive braking operating input. Moreover, in vehicles, for example, such as motorcycles which particularly call for the responsiveness of the driver to the excessive braking force, it is very important to let the driver rapidly and positively sense the fact that the anti-skid control device has been actuated.
In addition, in small vehicles such as motorcyles particularly involving many limitations in locations where various devices are mounted, there is much difficulty in mounting and arranging the anti-skid control mechanism as far as the anti-skid brake device of the prior art type is employed.